The Russellville Democrat., 1887-12-21

to invite me within.
 "Here,n I unused, .'my little Bessie can obtain glimpse of life the very opposite of her own joyous existence, and the contrast can not fail to give her higher apprecia- tion of 3e blessings she enjoys.
 Accordingly we alighted The kindly faced matron, who admitted us. on learning the object of our visit, conducted us at once to the large, common sitting-room, where was a motley company of people of all ages, from the palsied old man, apparently on the verge of the grave, to the infant in arms
 The men and women, all of whom bore unmistakable marks of helpless decrepitude or hopeless imbecility, were lowering about a huge old-fashioned stove in the center of the room This, with the several stool chairs on which they sat, and two long set tees ranged against the wall completed its cheerless appointments
 Outside this circle the children diverted themselves as best they might, their little feet pattering to and fro over the bare floor. The furious barking of a small dog soon aG- tracted our attention He seemed to have constituted himself the guardian of q frail little creature, who sat apart on one of the settees, for hc parked the louder the nearer we approached, never leaving his station at her side
 @Oh mamma!' exclaimed Bessie, in glad surprise, eff 1t isn't Fido."
 Yes, there could be no mistake It was her own little dog, that we had given up for lost almost . year before For, on his collar, precluding the possibility of doubt, was his name in large legible characters, which myself had stamped there
 At the sound of her familiar voice calling him, he ceased barking and bounded to meet her. frisking and wagging his tail in joyful recognition
 Finding herself thus unexpectedly de- serted, the child on the settee cast a fright ened, appealing look about her and burst into tears @Don't take him away" she sobbed Come back, Fido, please come back. have no one to love me only you. :"
 As if comprehending her words and wish ing to atone for his seeming lack of fidelity, he turned and in another moment was lick ing her hands and stained face in Q most sympathetic and reassuring manner.
 It was now Bessie's turn to be fearful, but few low-spoken words from me brought her to realizing sense of tho poor child's lonely and loyeless condition, and with her this meant self -forgetfulness and q generous wish to help.
 @rll give him to you,n she said, impul- sively
 file is already mine," replied the child, evidently wondering at Bessies presump- tion Santa Claus sent him to me.
 ''Oh, ohp eiaculated Bessie, and then she led her on with eager questioning to tell how, last Christmas morning while she and mamma were out for walk, Fido had come straight up to them just as if he knew them; how he had followed them home, though mamma would not let her call him,
 .1 4afV. kt to the street he had returned and whined at the door until at last she had opened it for him and had called him Nellie's Christmas gift And she Nellie, had felt sure that Santa Claus had sent him be- carse, as mamma had feared, he found the long, winding stairs leading to their room too steep and toilsome to climb with his heavy load.
 And where is mamma nowy' I asked
 "Gone to Heaven And the pale lips quiyered as she spoke.
 Deeply moved. I turned to the matron and from her learned all that was known of this, to me, strangely interesting child. Her name was Nellie Martin. She had been brought there some three months be- fore from comfortless room in tene- ment house, where her mother had died leaving her uncared for and alone save for the companionship of little Fido
 By the time this recital was ended Bessie and it's subject, with that freedom from all conventional restraints characteristic of children, had become, as it were, old ac- quaintances. Sitting side by side with Fido stretched across both their laps, they bent in grave consultation over a fragment of newspaper with which we had found Nellie engaged, and which now under their com bined efforts, had grown into something like the semblance of doll Apretty pict- ure they made, and. as I looked at them, I could not help wishing that all the world was as free from the trammels of rank as they.
 Bessie took reluctant leave of Ffdo and his adopted mistress, promising to visit them again soon and bring her new friend